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Hicham El Guerrouj

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Hicham El Guerrouj
El Guerrouj in 2010
Personal information
Born (1974-09-14) 14 September 1974 (age 50)[1]
Berkane, Morocco[2]
Height176 cm (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Weight58 kg (128 lb)[2]
Sport
CountryMorocco
SportTrack
Event(s)1500 metres, mile, 2000 metres, 5000 metres
Turned pro1994
Retired2004
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals1996 Atlanta
1500 m, 12th
2000 Sydney
1500 m  Silver
2004 Athens
1500 m  Gold
5000 m  Gold
World finals1995 Göteborg
1500 m  Silver
1997 Athens
1500 m  Gold
1999 Seville
1500 m  Gold
2001 Edmonton
1500 m  Gold
2003 Paris
1500 m  Gold
5000 m  Silver
Personal bests
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Morocco
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 2 1 0
World Championships 4 2 0
World Indoor Championships 3 0 0
Total 9 3 0
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens 1500 m
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2000 Sydney 1500 m
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1997 Athens 1500 m
Gold medal – first place 1999 Sevilla 1500 m
Gold medal – first place 2001 Edmonton 1500 m
Gold medal – first place 2003 Paris 1500 m
Silver medal – second place 1995 Gothenburg 1500 m
Silver medal – second place 2003 Paris 5000 m
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 1995 Barcelona 1500 m
Gold medal – first place 1997 Paris 1500 m
Gold medal – first place 2001 Lisbon 3000 m

Hicham El Guerrouj (Arabic: هشام الݣروج; Berber languages: ⵀⵉⵛⴰⵎ ⵍⴳⵔⵔⵓⵊ, romanized: Hisham El Gerruj; born 14 September 1974) is a retired Moroccan middle-distance runner. El Guerrouj is the current world record holder for the 1500 metres and mile,[3] and the former world record holder in the 2000 metres. He is the only man since Paavo Nurmi to win a gold medal in both the 1500 m and 5000 metres at the same Olympic Games.

El Guerrouj is widely regarded as the greatest middle-distance runner in history[4][5][6] and, as of October 2024, still holds six of the 10 fastest times ever run in the 1500 m[7] as well as seven of the 15 fastest times in the mile.[8] He and Jakob Ingebrigtsen are the only men in history to have broken both 3:27 in the 1500 m and 3:44 in the mile. El Guerrouj remains the only man in history to have broken 3:27 in the 1500 m more than once, having done so five times.[9][10]

He won a gold medal in the 1500 m at the 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003 World Athletics Championships. He won the World Athlete of the Year award three times,[7][8] and in November 2014, was inducted into the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Hall of Fame.[11]

Early life & career

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Born in Berkane, Hicham El Guerrouj comes from a family of farmers. He initially pursued soccer and basketball in his sporting endeavors, but his spark in the sport of athletics came at the age of 13, when a local coach recognized his talent and encouraged him to pursue the sport.[12] According to El Guerrouj, his urban upbringing and close proximity to a sports stadium allowed him to watch athletics competitions often, fueling his passion for running.[13]

El Guerrouj's first international triumph was at age 18, when he came third in the 5000 metres of the 1992 Junior World Championships in Seoul, behind Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia and Ismael Kirui of Kenya. A year later, he was the #2 man on the Moroccan team at the World Junior Cross Country Championships.

In 1994, he was a member of the Moroccan team in the 1994 IAAF World Road Relay Championships, which won the race in world record time.[14]

El Guerrouj rose to international prominence in the mid-1990s with near-record times in the 1500 metres and mile. At the age of 20 he finished second in the 1500 metres to then world record holder Noureddine Morceli at the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg. In 1996 after setting a new personal best in the 1500 metres of 3:29.59 in Stockholm, he was considered one of the favourites for the Olympic gold.

1996 Atlanta Olympics – 1999 season

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El Guerrouj competed in his first Olympic Games in 1996 at Atlanta. Running the 1500 metres final, as he was moving into position to challenge for the lead,[15] he fell with 400 m to go and finished last in 12th place. He had been expected to challenge the world record holder and three-time World champion, Noureddine Morceli.[16][17]

One month later, at the Grand Prix final in Milan, El Guerrouj became the first runner to defeat Morceli over 1500 m in four years.[18] In the following years, El Guerrouj became the only middle distance runner to win four consecutive world titles in 1997,[19] 1999,[20] 2001, and 2003.[21]

El Guerrouj set two world indoor records at the start of the 1997 season, starting with a 1500 m record of 3:31.18 at the Sparkassen Cup, which was not beaten until 22 years later, in 2019 by Samuel Tefera. He also set a new indoor world record of 3:48.45 in the mile run at the Indoor Flanders meeting a few weeks later, which stood until Yomif Kejelcha bettered the mark in 2019.

In 1998 in Rome, El Guerrouj broke Morceli's 1500 m world record (3:27.37) with a time of 3:26.00. With an average pace of 54.93 seconds per lap, this record still stands today, and is the first performance in the 1500 m where the pace averaged under 55 seconds per lap.[22][23][24][25]

In 1999, also in Rome, El Guerrouj broke the world record in the mile set by Morceli in 1993, with a time of 3:43.13, completing the first 1500 metres in 3:28.21. Noah Ngeny of Kenya, who ran second, was also under the previous world record with a time of 3:43.40, which remains the second place world record to this day.[26] This was the first time in over 40 years that two men had bettered the mile world record in the same race,[27] neither of which have been broken in a quarter of a century.

Later that season he set a new world record over 2000 m in Berlin at 4:44.79, bettering the previous mark set by Morceli by more than three seconds, that has since been broken by Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who ran 4:43.13 in 2023.[28] In 1999 El Guerrouj also ran what was then the second fastest 3000 m ever in Brussels, with a time of 7:23.09.

2000 Sydney Olympics – 2003 season

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At the Sydney Olympics, El Guerrouj was favourite to take gold but finished second in the 1500 metres, behind Noah Ngeny, a talented Kenyan runner at the peak of his career who had run as El Guerrouj's pacemaker when El Guerrouj ran his 1500m world record in Rome in 1998.[29][30][31]

El Guerrouj successfully defended his 1500 m title in the 2001 and 2003 World Championships and came close to breaking his own 1500 m record in Brussels in 2001 with a time of 3:26.12. He also won 3 consecutive IAAF Golden League prizes in 2001, 2002 and 2003. He was the only middle distance athlete to produce the winning streak necessary to be entitled for a share of the jackpot of 50 kilograms (1,608 troy ounces) of gold (2000–2002) or US$1 million (1998–1999, 2003–present). As of 2011 he was the only athlete to have won it three times in a row.[32]

In 2003, El Guerrouj set a personal best of 12:50.24 in the 5000 metres, which is the 26th fastest ever in the event. Later in the year, at the World Track & Field Championships, he finished a close second to Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge in the 5000 metres, adding a silver to the gold he had previously won in the 1500 metres.

2004 Athens Olympics and retirement

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El Guerrouj and Carlos García at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens

After a relatively poor start to the 2004 season that included slow times and an 8th-place finish in a 1500-metre race in Rome, El Guerrouj entered both the 1500 metres and the 5000 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Only 20 days before the Olympic final, 2000 Olympic bronze medalist Bernard Lagat ran the fastest 1500 m in 2004 (3:27.40), narrowly defeating El Guerrouj (3:27.64) at the Weltklasse Zürich meet on August 6. On August 24, in the final straight of the Olympic 1500m final, El Guerrouj beat Lagat by 0.12 seconds, winning the gold medal. In the finale, entering the home straight El Guerrouj led, only to be overtaken by Lagat- and then El Guerrouj re-took the lead a few strides from the line.[33]

Four days later, El Guerrouj won the 5,000 m final with a time of 13:14.39, preventing Kenenisa Bekele from achieving the 5000 m/10000 m distance double, last achieved by Ethiopian Miruts Yifter in 1980 Moscow Olympics.[34]

El Guerrouj became the first man in 80 years to win both 1500m and 5000m titles in the same Olympics, previously achieved only by the "Flying Finn" Paavo Nurmi in 1924.

On 16 May 2005, El Guerrouj was nominated for the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year.[35][36]

Having fulfilled his sporting ambitions & due to injuries from his years of high intensity training, El Guerrouj never competed internationally again after the 2004 Olympics and announced his retirement on May 22, 2006.[37][38]

Awards and honors

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His sporting career is marked by numerous recognitions such as the award for humanitarian effort from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which he received in 1996. He is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. El Guerrouj was named IAAF World Athlete of the Year in 2001, 2002 and 2003 after remaining unbeaten in more than 20 races, becoming the first man to win the award in consecutive years. He was also named best athlete of the year by the athletics journal Track and Field News in 2002. In 2003, he was elected as a member of the IAAF Athletes Committee.

On September 7, 2004, El Guerrouj was decorated with the "Cordon de Commandeur" by King Mohammed VI of Morocco. In the same year, he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Awards.[39][40]

He was a member of the International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission from 2004 to 2012.

Hicham El Guerrouj is today an Ambassador for Peace and Sport, a Monaco-based international organization,[41] as well as a member of its "Champions for Peace" club, a group of 54 famous elite athletes committed to serving peace in the world through sport.

Personal life

[edit]

During the 1996 Summer Olympics, after his devastating fall in the 1500 metres final, El Guerrouj received a call from King Hassan II, then the King of Morocco. Hassan II said to El Guerrouj:[42]

"Do not cry. You are a champion in the eyes of the Moroccan people."

— King Hassan II

In response to this call, El Guerrouj later reflected:[43]

"After the call by His Majesty, it was another el-Guerrouj who was born. 'There is no similarity to the el-Guerrouj before this call and the el-Guerrouj right now."

— Hicham El Guerrouj

On 27 September 2003, El Guerrouj married Najoua Lahbil.[44] They have a daughter named Hiba.[45]

El Guerrouj is an admirer of Roger Bannister, whom he considers to be his "spiritual father". El Guerrouj met Bannister in 2000, and attended a 70 year anniversary event of Bannister's first sub-four minute mile on 6 May 2024 in Oxford, England.[46][47] In 2019, he also attended the World Athletics Heritage Mile Night in Monaco, which was organized by Sebastian Coe.[48]

In 2024, reflecting on the differences between the mile and 1500 metres, El Guerrouj stated the following:[49]

"My favourite is 1500m. It's part of my heart. I competed in it a lot and I know every metre of this race. The mile is completely different. If you are not strong physically and mentally, you cannot run it well."

— Hicham El Guerrouj

El Guerrouj attended the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, and was also a torchbearer.[50] He also attended the 2024 Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels on 13 September, where he greeted Jakob Ingebrigtsen at the finish line of the 1500 m.[51]

International competitions

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Year Competition Venue Position Event Result
Representing  Morocco
1992 World Junior Championships Seoul, South Korea 3rd 5000 m 13:46.79
1995 World Indoor Championships Barcelona, Spain 1st 1500 m 3:44.54
World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 2nd 1500 m 3:35.28
1996 Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 12th 1500 m 3:40.75
1997 World Indoor Championships Paris, France 1st 1500 m 3:35.31
World Championships Athens, Greece 1st 1500 m 3:35.83
1999 World Championships Seville, Spain 1st 1500 m 3:27.65 CR
2000 Olympic Games Sydney, Australia 2nd 1500 m 3:32.32
2001 World Indoor Championships Lisbon, Portugal 1st 3000 m 7:37.74
World Championships Edmonton, Canada 1st 1500 m 3:30.68
2003 World Championships Paris, France 1st 1500 m 3:31.77
2nd 5000 m 12:52.83
2004 Olympic Games Athens, Greece 1st 1500 m 3:34.18
1st 5000 m 13:14.39

IAAF Grand Prix performances

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Personal bests

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The following table includes El Guerrouj's personal best times as published by the IAAF:[52]

Distance Time Date Location Notes
800 metres 1:47.18 2 June 1995 Turin
1000 metres 2:16.85 12 July 1995 Nice
1500 metres 3:26.00 14 July 1998 Rome WR
Indoor 1500 metres 3:31.18 2 February 1997 Stuttgart 3rd all time
Mile 3:43.13 7 July 1999 Rome WR
Indoor mile 3:48.45 12 February 1997 Ghent 3rd all time
2000 metres 4:44.79 7 September 1999 Berlin 2nd all time
3000 metres 7:23.09 3 September 1999 Brussels 4th all time
Indoor 3000 metres 7:33.73 23 February 2003 Liévin
Indoor 2 miles 8:06.61 23 February 2003 9th all time
5000 metres 12:50.24 12 March 2003 Ostrava
Ekiden 1:57:56 17 April 1994 Litochoro

Awards

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See also

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References and notes

[edit]
  1. ^ "Hicham El Guerrouj". iaaf.org. International Association of Athletics Federations. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  2. ^ a b c Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Hicham El Guerrouj". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Hicham EL GUERROUJ | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  4. ^ Longman, Jere (4 May 2000). "El Guerrouj: the King of the Mile". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "El Guerrouj: the greatest of all time". iaaf.org.
  6. ^ "El Guerrouj confirms his retirement". The Irish Times.
  7. ^ a b "All-time men's best 1500 m". IAAF. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  8. ^ a b "All-time best one mile men". IAAF.
  9. ^ "1500 Metres - men - senior - all". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
  10. ^ "One Mile - men - senior - all". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
  11. ^ "IAAF: Twelve athletics legends inducted into IAAF Hall of Fame". iaaf.org.
  12. ^ Admin, Runnerstribe (2023-05-27). "Hicham El Guerrouj Journey to Middle-Distance Greatness". Runner's Tribe. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  13. ^ "A decade after retirement, El Guerrouj still has Midas touch in inspiring future generation | FEATURE | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  14. ^ "untitled". www.arrs.run.
  15. ^ "Atlanta Olympics 1996 - Men's 1500m". 14 November 2006 – via YouTube.
  16. ^ 1996 Atlanta Olympics sporting-heroes.net: El Guerrouj fell to the ground
  17. ^ 1996 Atlanta Olympics YouTube video: Atlanta Olympics 1996 - Men's 1500m final
  18. ^ "Marco Veledíaz - Training of the Maroccan World Class Athletes". Archived from the original on 10 February 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  19. ^ YouTube video 1500m final - 1997 World Championships
  20. ^ YouTube video 1500m final - 1999 World Championships
  21. ^ YouTube video 1500m final - 2003 World Championships
  22. ^ YouTube video: Hicham El Guerrouj sets a new world record at 1500m in 1998
  23. ^ "IAAF: 60 Metres". iaaf.org.
  24. ^ World Record progression of men 1500m Archived 2013-07-30 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ^ "Pace Calculator". www.calculator.net. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  26. ^ "One Mile - men - senior - all". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  27. ^ YouTube video: Hicham El Guerrouj sets a world record in the mile in 1999
  28. ^ "2000 Metres - men - senior - all". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  29. ^ 2000 Sydney Olympics YouTube video: Men's 1500m
  30. ^ El Guerrouj, a picture of despair, The Guardian, 30 Sep 2000
  31. ^ Noah Ngeny - Kenya - Olympic gold at 1500 metres, sporting-heroes.net
  32. ^ Akyeampong, E.K.; Gates, P.H.L. (2012). Dictionary of African Biography. OUP USA. p. 1-PA290. ISBN 978-0-19-538207-5. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
  33. ^ 2004 Athens Olympics YouTube video: Men's 1500m final
  34. ^ 2004 Athens Olympics YouTube video: Men's 5000m final
  35. ^ "Laureus World Sportsman of the Year 2005 nominees". Laureus. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  36. ^ "More glory for Athens star Holmes". BBC Sport. 16 May 2005. Archived from the original on 22 December 2006. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  37. ^ El Guerrouj retires from track - cbc.ca
  38. ^ King of Middle Distance, Hicham El Guerrouj retires - IAAF
  39. ^ Thousands of asturian children of all ages to join Hicham El Guerrouj in a race for peace Archived 2007-09-26 at the Wayback Machine - fundacionprincipedeasturias.org
  40. ^ "Hicham El Guerrouj, Prince of Asturias Award for Sports 2004". Prince of Asturias Foundation. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  41. ^ "Peace and Sport". www.peace-sport.org.
  42. ^ "A decade after retirement, El Guerrouj still has Midas touch in inspiring future generation | FEATURE | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  43. ^ Longman, Jere (1997-08-07). "An Olympic Fall Lifts Moroccan". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  44. ^ "Hicham El Guerrouj marries | NEWS | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  45. ^ "A decade after retirement, El Guerrouj still has Midas touch in inspiring future generation | FEATURE | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  46. ^ "El Guerrouj: "Ingebrigtsen can break my records (but I'd rather he didn't!)"". AW. 2024-07-06. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  47. ^ Dickinson, Marley (2024-05-06). "World record holder celebrates Bannister's sub-four mile, 70 years ago today". Canadian Running Magazine. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  48. ^ "Bannister and Charles among the honourees at World Athletics Heritage Mile Night celebration | PRESS-RELEASE | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  49. ^ "El Guerrouj: "Ingebrigtsen can break my records (but I'd rather he didn't!)"". AW. 2024-07-06. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  50. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  51. ^ NBC Sports (2024-09-13). Jakob Ingebrigtsen bests Timothy Cheruiyot, Cole Hocker in 1500m at Diamond League | NBC Sports. Retrieved 2024-09-14 – via YouTube.
  52. ^ "Hicham EL GUERROUJ - Athlete Profile". IAAF.
  53. ^ "Twelve athletics legends inducted into IAAF Hall of Fame| News". www.worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hicham El Guerrouj.
Records
Preceded by Men's 1500 m World Record Holder
July 14, 1998 – 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by Men's Mile World Record Holder
July 7, 1999 – 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Men's Track & Field News Athlete of the Year
1999
2001, 2002 		Succeeded by
Preceded by IAAF World Athlete of the Year
2001 – 2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by L'Équipe Champion of Champions
2004 		Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by Men's 3000 m Best Year Performance
1999
2003 		Succeeded by
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